


White Christmas

by MistressArafax



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Beach Holidays, Christmas Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21961138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressArafax/pseuds/MistressArafax
Summary: Kaiba takes Joey to a private island to celebrate Christmas.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Comments: 12
Kudos: 38





	White Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RyuuNoYuki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyuuNoYuki/gifts).



> My gift for RyuuNoYuki for the KaiJou Discord Secret Santa gift exchange!
> 
> The request was for domestic fluff or angst and anything Red-Eyes/Blue-Eyes themed. I went hard for the fluff, tbh. I hope you like it!

"Joseph."

When Kaiba's attempt to get his husband's attention away from the video game he was playing failed, he stood in front of the TV. Joey leaned to the side to see around him, and Kaiba sighed, putting his hands on his hips.

"Joey, I swear to God, I'll make it so you never play another game again if you don't pause it and listen right now."

"Scary. Ya gonna tear off my hands or break the console? Because only one of those is permanent, and I'm pretty sure ya like my hands too much."

Despite his backtalk, Joey had paused his game, looking up at Kaiba expectantly. Kaiba continued, "I was thinking of booking us a luxury vacation for Christmas."

"What kinda 'luxury' we talkin' about here? Ya know I don't need anythin' fancy."

"Private island for just the two of us. I'd fly us there."

"A private island ain't really Christmas-y though."

"Would you rather I take you to a ski resort?"

Joey's lips curled in distaste. "That would be even worse."

Kaiba chuckled. 

"It's kinda a lot, ain't it? Ya know how I feel about ya doin' stuff like this."

"I know you've complained about the treatment you've received from 'stuck up rich people' at resorts." Kaiba made air quotes as he said it, a surefire indicator of having spent so much time around Joey. It was something Joey did fairly regularly and a habit Kaiba had, unfortunately, picked up over the years.

"They always look at me like I'm stupid and talk down to me. Just because I don't understand all the rich people shit goin' on at those places, don't mean I oughtta be made fun of."

"This would be just us, so you wouldn't be made to feel uncomfortable," Kaiba explained.

Joey sighed and nodded. "Alright. It's way too much, but since ya wanna do it, I ain't sayin' no."

Kaiba chuckled. "I am, as the kids these days say, extra."

"Fuck yes, you are. The livin' embodiment of it."

Kaiba laughed, amused at Joey's usual antics. They made eye contact, and Kaiba thought, for an instant, that Joey would stand up and drag him to the bedroom. His heart raced in anticipation for it. Instead, Joey leaned forward, grabbed his arm, and yanked him down, forcing him to collapse on the couch.

Before he could ask, Joey explained, "You were blockin' the TV." He'd already started playing again.

Kaiba scoffed and shoved him, making the blonde miss his timing and jump off the ledge in his game. As he respawned, he glared at Kaiba. "Dick."

"I hardly think I deserve that."

Joey narrowed his eyes. "No, you definitely deserve it." A look flashed across his face, one Kaiba couldn't decipher. Joey paused his game and set down his controller. "Actually...what you really deserve is my dick."

"Hardly. You deserve mine."

The grin that spread across his face was one Kaiba recognized. Lecherous and playful, and Kaiba knew he'd be getting that bedroom romp after all. If they even made it to the bedroom at all. Kaiba didn’t care either way.

-

Joey always found himself watching Kaiba when the brunet focused on anything. The way his eyes never wavered from what he was concentrating on, the set of his lips, and the flexing of the veins in his hands were all extremely attractive. So Joey watched him when he worked, drove or, like right now, piloted an aircraft.

Sitting next to Kaiba while he prepared for landing at their destination gave him an up close view of his husband. All serious and focused as he eased the helicopter to the ground. It was exactly the kind of thing Joey loved watching.

The flight had been a little rougher than Joey felt comfortable with, but he hadn’t said anything. He was determined not to break Seto’s concentration. Mostly because both of their safety was in Seto’s hands, and also, it would ruin the eye candy. He'd gripped his thighs tightly, digging his fingers in. For a second, his stomach lurched, the wind blowing the helicopter around, and then they were on the ground.

Joey breathed a sigh of relief, and he glanced over in time to watch the tension bleed out of Seto's shoulders. He stayed seated, knowing Seto had to run through the shut down procedures for the helicopter. He pressed buttons, Joey never bothered to remember which ones, and the whirring blades completely ceased moving. The hum receded, and Seto flicked off the helicopter and removed his headset. Joey did the same.

"That was a rough flight," he commented, pushing open the door and climbing out.

Seto made a dismissive noise in the back of his throat. "It wasn't that bad."

Joey could see through the strong front Seto had up. He knew the brunet too well. The way he'd white-knuckled the controllers was a clear indication of how nervous the flight had made him. He didn't push the issue though. He could know without forcing Seto to admit it.

They had landed near a big house, nearly as big as the mansion, right on the beach. "Are we the only people here?"

Seto shook his head. "There's another house on the north side of the island, but I don't think anyone is currently there. I pay for weekly cleanings on this place."

"Wait…" Joey said. "You own this?"

"Technically, KaibaCorp owns this. There's a contract with a renting agency so it gets rented out to people looking for a private island getaway."

"Only rich people are stayin' someplace like this."

"Not always. Sometimes families split the cost for a week."

Joey laughed. "Then what? Swimmin' here?"

Seto rolled his eyes, clearly done speaking on the subject. He grabbed their bags out of the helicopter, one in each hand, and started making his way toward the oversized beach house. Joey hurried after him, taking his bag from Seto's hand and then taking his hand. Seto instantly interlocked their fingers, and Joey smiled. 

Despite how ritzy this whole thing seemed, Joey was glad that it was just the two of them. It was a rare treat getting Seto all to himself. Even better was that it had been Seto's idea from the outset, though Joey had incorporated his own ideas for their tropical Christmas vacation. Nothing big. Just meals, activities, and some embarrassing matching swimwear.

Seto pulled out a key and unlocked the front door of the mansion in front of them. He gaped at the open design as he walked in, floor to ceiling windows allowing sunlight to flood the interior and make it bright inside. While the manor was bigger, this place was more refined. He'd maybe even call it elegant. Complete with a pool and a tennis court out back, Joey almost scoffed at how unnecessarily nice it was.

"We gonna play tennis?" Joey asked.

"I'll beat you. You wouldn't stand a chance against me."

"That's what ya said about Duel Monsters, but I've beaten ya more than a few times."

Seto scoffed. "It took you years to develop the skills required to beat me at Duel Monsters. Tennis would be no different."

"Ehh… you ain't some pro-level tennis player. It wouldn't take me that long. Besides, I'm good at sports."

"You were good at sports. Now we're both old men."

"We're only 36. We ain't that old. But ain't tennis how rich old guys keep in shape?"

"I think you mean golf. Also, are you calling yourself rich now?" Seto asked, eyebrow raised.

"I'm married to you. We're here." He gestured around the ritzy beach house on a private island in the Caribbean. "What else would ya call me?"

"Incredibly fortunate that I like you."

Joey shoved his shoulder playfully, enjoying the banter. He had a smile on his face, a dimple in his cheek. Seto leaned over and kissed him.

"Ya wanna break in the bed?" Joey suggested casually when Seto pulled away, an eyebrow raised suggestively. "I mean...It is Christmas Eve and all…"

"You're incorrigible," Seto returned, shaking his head but clearly amused.

"'At's my middle name," Joey replied with a shrug, still grinning.

Seto reached out and took his hand. "Alright then, Joseph Incorrigible Wheeler-Kaiba. Let's go."

-

They enjoyed the evening on the beach, then barbequed on the deck before heading back to the beach. Kaiba couldn't say he was pleased by the themed Speedo Joey had forced him to wear, but he didn't hate it either. There was a kind of charm in having one-of-a-kind Blue-Eyes White Dragon swimwear. Especially when he knew Joey had gone to the trouble of having it custom made, and that it was pay of a matching set. Joey had on his own Red-Eyes Speedo.

He hadn't pulled out his phone all day. This whole week was dedicated to Joey, and while he knew that he'd eventually pull out his phone or tablet and get some work done, he was content to just exist in Joey's presence for the time being.

They sat on the beach after eating, watching the sunset over the ocean together. "I might tease ya about goin' all out sometimes, but this is really nice, Seto." The blonde reached out and threaded their fingers together.

"I thought...you'd like to spend time with me."

"I love spendin' time with you. I even noticed that ya didn't work today."

"Because…" Seto said, pausing for a long moment to gather his thoughts while staring out at the sunset. It had become easier to express his feelings through the years, but it was harder to admit to the deeper attachment he had to the blonde. Which was probably silly after being married for eight years, but old habits died hard and learned behavior from years of suffering from loss and emotional abuse didn't just go away. Joey understood that. That's why they worked. He didn't have to say another word, and Joey would understand what he meant. But he'd made an effort to get better at expressing his feelings, and he wanted to say it. He had an obligation to say it. "It's because I love you, and I want you to have my undivided attention. This is a selfish gift for me, as well, to have you all to myself."

Joey chuckled, curling closer to Seto and pressing a kiss to his jaw. "I'm a gift now? I feel honored."

Seto tried to fight the smile turning his lips, but he ultimately couldn't hold it at bay. "Don't get too full of yourself," he cautioned.

"Never," he said, another kiss landing on Seto's cheek.

"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Joey asked.

"Whatever you want."

"It's Christmas tomorrow so I think we should keep things as traditional as possible. We ain't got a tree here, but I'll make pancakes for breakfast. And we can go open gifts by a palm tree or somethin'. It ain't like...a normal Christmas. Hell, it's not even cold out. But I still wanna try to do it right."

Joey's arms were around his waist, holding him close. "We should head in," Seto said. "Settle down for the evening "

They did just that, walking back to the big house hand in hand.

-

Christmas morning always held a special charm for Joey. As a little kid, it had been the excitement of gifts. Then his parents had split, and for years, when it was just him and his dad, they hadn't bothered to celebrate the holiday at all. They were too broke. His father never saved enough money up to buy him anything, and Joey couldn't be bothered to blow his meager savings on the man. His friends made it bearable, but it hadn't really regained that same charm until he was dating Seto.

His first Christmas with Seto, Joey had gone over and decorated the manor with Mokuba. They sang songs and had a Christmas party with everyone, and Kaiba had been less than enthused. Kaiba had gotten less grumpy about it over time, joining in on decorating and stunning Joey with his surprisingly good singing voice. A nice rich, melodic baritone. Joey could listen to it all day, every day, but Seto seemed to reserve it as a Christmas treat.

He woke up thinking about Christmas and Seto, and he wondered if he'd been dreaming, but he wasn't sure. Seto still slept beside him, face in slack and drawing deep, rhythmic breaths. Joey watched him for several minutes, fighting the urge to touch him or run his fingers through Seto's graying hair. He didn't want to disturb his sleeping husband. He also didn't want to leave the bed. Any morning spent cuddling in bed with Seto was a good morning.

Eventually, he had to get up to go to the bathroom, returning to find Seto awake and looking at his phone. He settled back into bed, snuggling close enough that he could see that Seto was reading through text messages from Mokuba.

"Tell him 'Merry Christmas' from the both of us," Joey said.

Wordlessly, Seto did as directed, sending his brother a Christmas greeting, and then set his phone down. He seemed serious about dedicating his time to Joey while they were here. It was appreciated more than Joey could adequately express.

"Maybe we should send him a picture, too," Joey suggested.

"In bed?" Seto asked incredulously.

"Nah. Once we're up and dressed. Maybe take one on the beach?"

Seto nodded, rolling toward Joey and wrapping him in a hug. The room was already quite bright as mid-morning drew near. Joey wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, wrapped in each other's arms, but eventually, his stomach grumbled.

"Guess I'm hungry."

"Let's get up then," Seto said, pulling away and heading to the shower. Joey watched him go, staring at his ass the whole time until the brunet disappeared into the bathroom, and he finally decided to join Seto in the shower. It was big enough for the both of them, much like the shower in the manor. Hair washed and body cleansed, they each grabbed a towel. It was a routine they had down, one that they'd seamlessly created over the years. Joey would get dressed first, leaving Seto in the bathroom to shave, moisturize, and brush his teeth. Joey came in to do the same while Seto dried and styled his hair. Sometimes, when the brunet finished and left to get dressed, Joey dried his own hair, but most days he just ran some gel through it.

Today was just a gel day, and he was done before Seto was dressed. He headed to the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee and finding what he needed to make the promised pancakes. The recipe was simple enough to whip up, and he had the first one on the griddle before Seto walked out in a sky blue tank top and khaki shorts.

"You not wearin' your Blue-Eyes Speedo today?" Joey asked teasingly. "I was hopin' I'd get to ogle ya all day."

Seto rolled his eyes. "I don't see you in your Red-Eyes Speedo."

"That's for later," Joey said with a wink. "When I wanna get sexy for ya."

"If you say so," he said noncommittally, but Joey knew he liked the idea. He just didn't want to admit to it.

Seto poured two cups of coffee, adding cream to both and sugar to one for Joey. It put a smile on his face knowing that Seto knew how to make his coffee. "Why don't we eat breakfast outside on the deck?" Joey suggested.

"It's more like lunch at this point."

"It's the first meal of the day. I can call it breakfast if I feel like it."

Seto didn't contradict him and instead carried the mugs of coffee outside. As Joey cooked, Seto set up the table on the deck for them. Joey finished up the last of the batter, making one last tiny pancake, and looked up to see Seto waiting for him. "Can you take this out? I gotta grab something real quick."

"Sure."

Joey had, indeed, gotten Seto a gift. The matching Speedos had been a joke, but he had also gotten something more serious. He grabbed the wrapped book from his bag and carried it with him out to the deck.

"This is for you," Joey said, holding it out to Seto. 

The brunet took it and set it on the table. He reached into his pocket and took out a small box. "I got something for you, as well."

Joey sat down and pulled the box toward himself. "Go ahead and open yours."

Seto did, pulling the wrapping paper away to reveal the scrapbook. Joey had laboriously selected pictures for it over the past few months and sent it to a printer. Seto flipped through the pages, looking at glossy, high-quality pictures of him and Joey, him and Mokuba, him and Mokuba's kids, him and Serenity's kids. "Where did you get all of these?" Seto asked in awe.

"I took a couple myself, but most of 'em came from Serenity and Mokuba. They've taken more pictures of us than I think we've ever taken of us."

Seto chuckled. "I'll put it on my desk at work. Thank you."

Joey hummed, grinning. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."

"Open yours," Seto said, jutting his chin toward the gift sitting in front of Joey.

Joey did so, surprised to find a pair of Red-Eyes cufflinks. Knowing Seto, they were custom-made and had real rubies as eyes. "These are real nice, Seto," Joey said. "I love 'em."

"I also got you a new suit, but it's at home. I didn't think we'd need it here."

Joey grinned. "Nah. I dont think so either. But we'll have to go somewhere nice for dinner once we get back. So I can wear my new stuff."

"We will," Seto promised.

They ate breakfast after that, enjoying the pancakes, which were no longer hot but still warm enough to be enjoyable. Joey, stuffed full of pancakes, washed them down with his coffee. He leaned back in his seat, watching Seto eat and enjoying the sound of waves crashing on the shore, the smell of salt water in the air, and the wind tousling his hair. It was turning it to be a pretty fantastic Christmas morning.

He chuckled, having a sudden thought. "Hey, ya know, in a way, we're havin' a White Christmas."

Seto looked at him blankly.

"The sand. The ground's covered in white sand. That's what I'm gonna caption the picture I send to Mokuba." Joey pulled out his phone, shaking it.

Seto rolled his eyes, but Joey didn't miss how he'd smiled. He finished his meal, and wiped his lips of any lingering syrup. "Might as well get this picture over with," he grumbled, standing up and walking toward the beach. Joey rushed around to him, holding his hand for the short walk. Once on the sand, he pressed himself to Seto's side, holding out his phone to snap a few pictures.

As he looked through them after their mini-selfie shoot, he smiled. Pictures of them together and happy were kind of rare. He picked the best one and sent it to Mokuba, and Serenity too while he was at it, White Christmas caption included, but he set his home screen to the same shot, as well. It filled his heart with warmth. Seto was right. Spending time and making memories together like this was truly the best gift.

He slid his phone in his pocket and hugged Seto's arm, pressing them together to give his husband an affectionate kiss on the cheek. "Let's do this again sometime."

Seto chuckled softly, resting his cheek against Joey's head. "Yes. Let's."


End file.
